To Everyone Who Helped Shape Me Into The Woman I Am Today
The greatest lessons in life won't come from the school syllabus.
djile / Shutterstock By Paola Angeline
Where I come from, the standard number of years we spend in school is about 18-20. That’s 4 years in preschool, 6 years in primary school, 4 years in high school, and about 4-6 years in university.
Simply put, in my 24 years of existence, I have spent more than 18 years in a classroom. I have spent more than 18 years studying and learning from various educators assigned to me.
I have spent almost my whole life listening to lectures with hopes of having better chances at landing a great job. I didn’t automatically realize, though, that this isn’t always how it’s supposed to be.
I have learned along the way, and I’m still learning up to this day, that the greatest lessons I will remember until the end of time, won’t always come from the people who have introduced and would introduce themselves as my subject teachers.
Now, this is not to say that I don’t appreciate the professors that I’ve met during my school life; and I most certainly am not nullifying the teachings that they have imparted to me through the years.
Rather, that the greatest lessons I have learned do not have any relation to chemistry, geometry, or physics; instead, they are more focused on how to survive this world that we’re in and, clearly, the Pythagorean Theorem, or any mathematical formula for that matter, has nothing to do with it.
I mean, I always knew how important it is to think outside the box, but I never really knew that it could also mean looking beyond the four corners of a room that we’re often secluded in. I have learned a lot in school, but wait until I tell you how much more I have learned outside of it.
So my gratitude goes out to everyone who has helped me become the person that I am today.
It’s for my family who is constantly showing me that I am enough and that unconditional love exists, whether I believe it or not.
My thanks go out to my childhood friends who have opened up my eyes from early on that there will be people who will always have your back no matter what, you just got to choose wisely.
This is for the friends I thought would be with me through and through but eventually left; thank you for teaching me that when people are meant to go, they will go no matter how hard you try to make them stay, and it’s not always going to be my fault.
This is especially for the friends who stayed, even when circumstances made it hard to; thank you for teaching me how to fight for things and people worth fighting for.
This is for all the people I have ever loved who have shown me what it’s like to find happiness even in the smallest of things. This is also for all the love that I have lost along the way, for teaching me that I won’t always get what I want and that’s okay.
You made me realize that what I want does not equate to what I need.
Finally, this is for the new people I met in this new place that I am in. I know it’s only been less than a year, but, nonetheless, I’d like to thank you for teaching me that differences should not be considered a hindrance but a challenge to do better and to be better.
Thank you for inspiring me every single day to fight my way through life with a smile even during the tough times — especially during the tough times.
I have spent 4 years of my life in preschool, 6 years in primary school, 4 years in high school, and 4 years in university. But if you ask me to clarify whom I consider my greatest teacher in life, I won’t single out any of my subject teachers.
Instead, I’ll tell you that it’s everyone I have ever met and every single one I have yet to meet. Because, frankly speaking, the greatest lessons in life won’t come from the school syllabus.
Paola Angeline is a writer and former contributor to Unwritten. Her work focuses on lifestyle and relationships, and has been featured in Huffington Post, Elite Daily, and others. Visit her author profile for more.